Chemistry 319 – ER
Introduction to Chemical Literature
Fall 2010
Instructor: Dr. Jeremy Wessel Office: Bea 137
Office Phone: (985) 448-4504 E-mail:
Office Hours: 9:40-10:35 MW, 2:00-4:00 MW, 12:55-1:50 T, 10:45-11:40 R, 9:40-11:40 F
Course Description: CHEM 319. Introduction to Chemical Literature. 1-1-0. Prerequisites: CHEM 222, 300. Important sources of chemical information, traditional and electronic searching techniques, software tools to assist in writing about Chemistry, and the American Chemical Society style guide. (40.0599)
Prerequisites: CHEM 222, 300. CHEM and CHDM majors are strongly encouraged to take this required course as soon as they have completed CHEM 222 and 300.
Required Textbook: Coghill, The ACS Style Guide: Effective Communication of Scientific Information, 3ed (ACS Press).
Required Supplements: Sections of the American Chemical Society's Clearinghouse for Chemical Information Instructional Materials at the University of Indiana, as listed below under “Course Content.” http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/cciim50.html
Handouts (assignments, PowerPoint notes, etc.) will be posted on the Blackboard course site at http://blackboard.nicholls.edu.
Course Goal The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the most important sources of chemical information and help them develop skills required to efficiently find and utilize information. They will also learn to present information in written and oral form. The skills developed in this course should allow students to adapt to the rapidly evolving chemical literature.
Student Outcome Objectives: At the end of this course, students will be
· able to use the chemical literature available in the Nicholls library and other libraries
· able to use software tools designed to assist in writing about chemistry
· able to recognize the primary literature by format
· able to construct appropriate bibliographic citations (references) in the correct format
· adept at using Chemical Abstracts, print and electronic (STN) versions, and all its component services, as well as other important sources to solve specific chemical information problems, such as
o finding patent information, journal articles, monographs, reviews by author, by subject, or by chemical substance
o finding physical and chemical properties of a compound
o finding methods for chemical analysis
o finding methods to assist in designing and performing chemical syntheses
· able to compose a review of literature pertaining to a possible subject of a laboratory investigation
· able to present results in oral and written form
Course Content:
1: Communication in Chemistry
· Science Writing Aids.
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Science_Writing_Aids
· The Publication Process. http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/The_Publication_Process:_Primary%2C_Secondary%2C_and_Tertiary_Sources
2. How and Where to Start
· Guide to Chemical Information Sources and Databases.
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Guides_to_Chemical_Information_Sources_and_Databases
· General Information on Computer Searching. http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/General_Information_on_Computer_Searching
· Current Awareness, Reviews and Document Delivery,
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Current_Awareness%2C_Reviews%2C_and_Document_Delivery
· Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Other books, http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Background_Reading:_Dictionaries%2C_Encyclopedias%2C_and_Other_Books
3. General Search
· Searching by Author, Organization Name, or known Citations.
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Searching_by_Author_or_Organization_Name_and_by_Known_Citations
· Searching by Subject, http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Searching_by_Subject
· Searching by Chemical Name and Formula, http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Chemical_Name_and_Formula_Searching
· Structure Searching,
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Structure_Searching
4. Specialized Searches
· Patents,
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Chemical_Patent_Searching
· Analytical Methods, http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Analytical_Chemistry
· Synthetic Methods,
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Searching_for_Synthesis
· Chemical Safety and Toxicology, http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Chemical_Safety
· Physical and Chemical Properties,
· http://cheminfo.informatics.indiana.edu/cicc/cis/index.php/Physical_Property_Information
· Chemical History, Biographies, Directories, Industry, http://www.indiana.edu/~cheminfo/C471/471chbdi.html
Course Requirements:
Students will write a review of and give a talk on the literature on a selected topic. One of the papers will be chosen for a poster presentation. There will also be four literature search assignments.
Methods of Evaluation:
Paper – 40%.
Talk – 20%.
Poster - 20%.
Literature Search Assignments – 20%.
Make Up: Make up work will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The student must provide a valid, verifiable excuse.
Academic Honesty Policy: Any student found cheating on any report will be subject to the penalties as stated in the Student Code of Conduct handbook; including but not limited to a score of zero on an assignment, expulsion from the class or expulsion from the University. Electronic copies of all requirements must be submitted through the Blackboard digital dropbox so that they can be checked against the turnitin.com database for plagiarism.
Attendance: Attendance is required.
Academic Disabilities Policy: If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to register with the Office of Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Office of Disability Services is located in Peltier Hall, Room 100-A. The Phone Number is (985) 448-4430 (TDD 449-7002).
Academic Grievances:
The proper procedure for filing grade appeals or grievances related to academic matters is listed in Section 5 of the Code of Student Conduct and at the following link: http://www.nicholls.edu/documents/student_life/code_of_conduct.pdf.
Continued Learning following an Extreme Emergency
The following guidelines are meant: to help the business of education continue at Nicholls State University in the aftermath of an extreme emergency situation; to help faculty and students understand their roles in completing education requirements for courses in progress when the emergency began; and to encourage faculty to be imaginative and resourceful in finding ways to continue the education of students and the work of the university.
Faculty responsibilities:
• Faculty members are responsible for their development in the use of the Blackboard software.
• Faculty members are responsible for having a plan for continuing their courses using only Blackboard and email.
• Faculty members should be allowed to continue their course in whatever way suits the completion of the course best, and encouraged to be creative in the continuation of these courses.
• Any adjustments or compensations made to a student’s progress in special programs with labs, clinical sequences (i.e. Culinary, Nursing, etc.), or the like should be made only in the immediate semester following the emergency.
· Faculty members are responsible for including these guidelines in all syllabi.
Student responsibilities:
• Students are responsible for reading regular emergency notifications on the NSU website.
• Students are responsible for knowing how to use and access Blackboard.
• Students are responsible for being familiar with emergency guidelines.
• Students are responsible for evacuating textbooks and other course materials.
• Students are responsible for knowing their Blackboard login and password
• Students are responsible for contacting faculty regarding their intentions for completing the course.
NOTE: Faculty and students should be open, flexible, and show compassion in determining the precise course of action.
Semester Withdrawals: The last day to withdraw from the class with a ‘W’ is November 1, 2010.
Class Disruptions are not tolerated. The use of cell phones, pagers and/or any other electronic personal device in class is prohibited. Any infractions will result in the dismissal from class.
Schedule
8/19 – Intro, syllabus
Kavallieratos, Ben P. Patel, Limburg
8/26 – Melissa Goldsmith presentation
9/2
9/9
9/16
9/23
9/30
10/7
10/21
10/28
11/4
11/11
11/18